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Jaylin Lucas Named Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, Honorable Mention For Six Hoosiers

Jaylin Lucas headlined a group of seven Indiana football players that earned All-Big Ten distinction for defense or special teams on Monday. Lucas was named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, and Tiawan Mullen, Cam Jones, Aaron Casey, Dasan McCullough, Charles Campbell and James Evans received honorable mentions.

Jack Ankony

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ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten conference announced the All-Big Ten first, second and third teams, as well as honorable mentions for defense and special teams on Tuesday. All-Big Ten offensive selections, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and other offensive awards will be announced on Wednesday.

Following Indiana's 4-8 season in 2022, seven Hoosiers were honored on Tuesday, headlined by true freshman Jaylin Lucas, who was named the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year. Lucas led the entire Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with two kickoff-return touchdowns, and his 28.1 yards per return ranked fourth in the nation.

Lucas gained a total of 591 yards on kick returns, and he is the first freshman – true or redshirt – to win the award since its inception in 2015. After just one season on campus, Lucas is second on the Indiana career return-touchdown chart, behind Marcus Thigpen, who returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2006. In addition to his big-play threat as a returner, Lucas is the first Hoosier since Tevin Coleman in 2014 with three 70-yard scoring plays in a single season. Lucas returned his first touchdown at Rutgers on Oct. 22, and later took it to the house at Michigan State on Nov. 19.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior cornerback Tiawan Mullen and fifth-year linebacker Cam Jones earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions from both the league's coaches and media. Fifth-year linebacker Aaron Casey and true freshman linebacker Dasan McCullough were voted All-Big Ten honorable mentions by the media. And on special teams, kicker Charles Campbell and punter James Evans were named All-Big Ten honorable mentions by the coaches and media. 

Mullen has taken home All-Big Ten honors in three of his four years at Indiana, dating back to his freshman season in 2019. He was named first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, but he was limited to four starts in 2021. As a senior, Mullen made 58 total tackles and eight pass breakups, and he is Indiana's active leader in career takeaways with 11. Mullen has one year of eligibility remaining, but it would not be surprising to see him declare for the NFL Draft. 

Although Jones was limited to five games after suffering a foot injury on Oct. 1 at Nebraska, Big Ten coaches and media recognized his impact. Jones recorded double-digit tackles in four of five games, including a season-high 13 and a forced fumble against Western Kentucky. He had a strong start to the season, posting 12 tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery and a crucial goal-line stop to help Indiana defeat Illinois in Week 1. Jones does not have remaining collegiate eligibility.

Casey had big shoes to fill before the season, replacing All-American linebacker Micah McFadden, but he had the best year of his Indiana career. Casey led Indiana with 86 total tackles, including a career-high 11 at Rutgers, and his 10.5 tackles for loss were tied for eighth in the Big Ten. Casey graduated in May of 2022, but he has one year of eligibility remaining. 

McCullough was the fourth Indiana defensive player to earn an All-Big Ten honorable mention on Tuesday following an impressive true freshman season. McCullough, the highest-ranked recruit in Indiana football history, tied with Lance Bryant for the team lead with four sacks, and he was third on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, McCullough played all over the field for Indiana, displaying a versatile skillset with speed and strength to excel as a pass rusher. 

On special teams, Campbell and Evans were a reliable kicker-punter duo for most of the 2022 season. Campbell made 14-of-20 field goal attempts with three misses coming in the final two games. He was a perfect 3-for-3 during Indiana's Week 1 win over Illinois, and his 4-for-4 effort against Western Kentucky featured a 51-yard game-winning field goal in overtime. Campbell announced on Monday that he has entered the transfer portal for his sixth and final year of collegiate eligibility, finishing his Indiana career a perfect 73-for-73 on extra points. 

Evans has played only two years of American football after growing up in Auckland, New Zealand, but he was one of the nation's top punters in 2022. Evans' 30 punts inside the 20-yard line ranked second in the nation, and his 24 punts of 50-plus yards tied for the lead in the Big Ten. Evans averaged 44.3 yards per punt, which ranks second in program history behind Drew Hagan's 44.8 in 1999. 

Related stories on Indiana football

  • BAZELAK IN TRANSFER PORTAL: After transferring from Missouri to Indiana before the 2022 season, quarterback Connor Bazelak has entered the transfer portal again. Bazelak joins Jack Tuttle and Grant Gremel as quarterbacks transferring out of Indiana this offseason. CLICK HERE
  • GREMEL IN TRANSFER PORTAL: Grant Gremel, a walk-on quarterback at Indiana who started the 2021 Old Oaken Bucket game, entered the transfer portal on Monday. CLICK HERE
  • CAMPBELL IN TRANSFER PORTAL: Indiana kicker Charles Campbell entered the transfer portal on Monday after five years as a Hoosier, ending his career with a perfect 73-for-73 mark on extra points and 39-for-51 on field goals. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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